McIlroy couldn’t finish the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend, withdrawing due to a back injury. He has since endured complications as he attempts to recover in time to compete in The Players Championship, beginning with first-round action on Thursday, March 12.

McIlroy could join Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers in history to win the event three times. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler can achieve the same feat after back-to-back wins at The Players prior to McIlroy’s 2025 victory.

Here’s the latest update on McIlroy’s back injury and his status ahead of the start of the 2026 Players Championship:

Is Rory McIlroy still in 2026 Players Championship?

Yes, McIlroy is still listed as in the field at The Players Championship, as of 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11. He was spotted at TPC Sawgrass for the first time this week on Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours before he’s scheduled to tee off in the first round of the 2026 Players Championship.

‘It’s better than it was. I hit up until a 6-iron on the range there and it felt OK,’ McIlroy told reporters after his practice session on Wednesday when asked about the condition of his back and whether he’s still planning to play in The Players Championship.

‘We’ll see. I’m taking it sort of hour-by-hour, but it feels better. That’s all I can say. I couldn’t stand to address the ball on Saturday morning at Bay Hill and it’s obviously better than that. Probably a game-time decision, but all indications are pointing in the right direction.’

Rory McIlroy injury update

McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational prior to the third round on March 7, citing back spasms that occurred after feeling a ‘twinge’ during warmups. After initially sounding optimistic about returning in time for The Players, McIlroy told The Golf Channel that he was delaying his arrival at TPC Sawgrass from Monday to Wednesday.

“The back is being a bit more stubborn than we thought, so I’m staying at home … to continue treatment in South Florida with the hope to travel to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point,” McIlroy said.

Just one season after signing defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a massive contract extension, the Dallas Cowboys are trading him away.

The Cowboys are sending Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers, according to multiple reports. Dallas will acquire a 2026 third-round pick as part of the deal.

Odighizuwa was originally selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The UCLA product quickly became a starter in Dallas, racking up 172 tackles, 28 TFL (tackles for loss) and 13.5 sacks in 63 starts across his first four seasons with the team.

The Cowboys agreed to a four-year extension worth up to $80 million with Odighizuwa before the franchise tag deadline during the 2025 NFL offseason. He continued to perform well for the team, generating 44 tackles, 6 TFL and 3.5 sacks while playing 62.5% of Dallas’ defensive snaps.

Despite his performance, Odighizuwa started just four of the Cowboys’ final eight games of the 2025 NFL season after the team acquired Quinnen Williams via trade from the New York Jets.

Odighizuwa was set to carry a $20.75 million cap hit for the 2026 NFL season, per OverTheCap.com. The Cowboys will save $4.75 million in cap space by trading the 27-year-old while adding another high-end draft asset to their coffers.

Meanwhile, the 49ers had a need at defensive tackle after losing Jordan Elliott to the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Odighizuwa will plug that and will look to invigorate a pass rush that generated an NFL-worst 20 sacks last season.

Odighizuwa wasn’t the only interior defensive lineman the Cowboys traded during free agency. They also agreed to ship veteran Solomon Thomas to the Titans in exchange for a seventh-round pick swap.

Thomas, 30, had 10 tackles as a rotational player for the Cowboys last season.

Osa Odighizuwa trade details

49ers get:

• DT Osa Odighizuwa

Cowboys get:

• 2026 third-round pick

Osa Odighizuwa contract details

Odighizuwa is entering the second season of the four-year, $80 million contract he signed with the Cowboys during the 2025 NFL offseason. Below is a look at the details of that deal, per Spotrac.com:

• Term: 4 years
• Total value: $80 million
• Average annual value (AAV): $20 million
• Guaranteed money: $52 million

The 49ers will be on the hook to pay Odighizuwa $57.8 million in cash over the duration of his deal.

Odighizuwa is presently the NFL’s 12th highest-paid interior defensive lineman in terms of total contract value while his AAV ranks 16th overall at the position, per OverTheCap.com.

Cowboys depth chart after Osa Odighizuwa trade

The Cowboys still have a handful of proven interior defensive linemen on the roster after the Odighizuwa and Thomas trades. Two long-time NFL veterans headline their returning talent at the position while Otito Ogbonnia joined the team on a one-year contract in free agency.

Here’s a look at the projected pecking order within the unit:

1. Quinnen Williams
2. Kenny Clark
3. Otito Ogbonnia
4. Jay Toia

(This story will be updated as more details become available.)

Caitlin Clark, who had her Team USA debut on March 11, officially scored her first points since July 2025.

Clark, who hasn’t played since July 15, 2025, as a member of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, did not start during the U.S. matchup against Senegal, but she created an immediate impact off the bench. At the 5:27 mark of the first quarter, the Indiana Fever star checked in, and minutes later, she officially made her first basket as a member of Team USA.

True to form, Clark’s first Team USA points came from a 3-pointer at the 1:22 mark of the first quarter. The Fever guard found space after a Monique Billings screen and let the ball fly. Clark launched it from deep, and the ball hit the rim before bouncing in for the triple.

Clark’s debut is going well, as she also found Billings shortly after checking in for an easy assist and score at the 4:55 mark. Billings, like Clark, also made her Team USA debut on Wednesday, along with Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Kiki Iriafen and Rae Burrell.

At halftime, Clark was already up to eight points and eight assists. Follow USA TODAY’s live coverage of the game here.

• The NFL is relaunching its diversity initiative with a new name, the ‘Coach and Front Office Accelerator.’
• This updated program will now include candidates from all backgrounds, not just racial or gender minorities.
• The accelerator, which was on hiatus for a year, will take place in May during the league’s spring meeting.
• Eligible candidates include senior-level coaches and front-office personnel, with clubs able to nominate up to two individuals.

One of the NFL’s diversity initiatives is back after a one-year hiatus, according to a league memo from league diversity officials addressed to chief executives, general managers, head coaches and club presidents obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

With a new name and approach.

The networking event formerly known as the Front Office and General Manager Accelerator Program is now the “Coach and Front Office Accelerator” and include candidates from all backgrounds, not just racial or gender minorities. CBS Sports first reported the program’s revival and changes.

Started in 2022, the accelerator program will bring candidates together for an in-person session from May 18-20 at the league’s spring meeting in Orlando, Florida. The May meeting scheduled for 2025 was canceled weeks prior. Though the NFL said the program was being reimagined, it was no secret the league sought compliance with president Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mandates.

Ten head-coaching jobs turned over this offseason. One team, the Tennessee Titans, hired a non-white person for the top gig, as Robert Saleh identifies as Lebanese-American.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during his pre-Super Bowl news conference that he believed “diversity is good” for the league.

“You know me too well to say I’m resigned to something where I think we need to continue to make progress,” Goodell said.

Goodell added: “We still have work to do. There’s got to be more steps, so we’re re-evaluating everything we’re doing, including our accelerator program, to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, rather than yesterday So, we need to be looking at that to say, ‘OK, why did we have the results this year?’”

The memo states that enhanced nomination criteria serve to “focus on more senior-level candidates aligned with Head Coach or General Manager readiness.” Clubs may nominate up to two candidates, ideally one front-office member and one coach. In addition to the in-person event, the memo promises year-round learning opportunities, including mentorship, personalized executive coaching and specialized development sessions addressing the realities of life as a NFL head coach or general manager.

Coaches eligible for the program must be a former NFL head coach, a current or former college coach, a current or former coordinator or current or former quarterbacks coach. Front office nominees should be assistant general managers or be a head of “player personnel, football operations or administration.”

In the memo, the league claimed 79 instances of a participant receiving an internal or cross-club promotion since the program’s inception.

Goodell said there was no correlation between the results of zero Black coaching hires and that the accelerator program had been dormant for nearly a year. The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for vacant head coach, general manager and coordinator positions. One minority candidate is required for the QB coach position.

“I think long-term, it’s something that we want to continue and figure out how do we use that to make sure that people understand that the level of talent is out there, the extraordinary talent is out there,” Goodell said, “and how to give them the opportunities to continue their careers.”

In theory, Mark DeRosa will be the most nervous observer when Mexico and Italy play the final game in Pool B of the World Baseball Classic Wednesday, March 11 in Houston, with the fate of Team USA in the balance.

In reality, his gaffe on national television can’t totally be undone with the result of a ballgame.

In what will go down as one of the more significant managerial oversights in the middle of a championship, DeRosa went on his own network with friendly hosts and claimed that the Americans ‒ sitting at 3-0 and apparently indomitable ‒ were already through to the quarterfinals.

Alas, the buzz of their postgame celebration after vanquishing Mexico had hardly worn off when DeRosa joined MLB Network for the sort of interview he’d conducted hundreds of times. But an Italian team with legit big league power loomed in their final game.

And the Americans got crushed. And, in fact, suddenly have their own fate out of their hands.

Though the odds remain in their favor, a viable scenario ‒ Mexico beating Italy while scoring four or fewer runs ‒ exists to send Team USA home after pool play for the first time in WBC history.

Yes, this Team USA ‒ of Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber’s tape-measure power, Bobby Witt Jr.’s all-around brilliance, Paul Skenes’ utter dominance. Yes, the best collection of talent in a half-dozen WBCs.

On paper, they wouldn’t be going home because DeRosa misspoke, or because he rested a handful of so-called regulars. Heck, No. 9 hitter and part-time center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in four of their runs with a pair of homers in an urgent comeback that fell short in the 8-6 loss to Italy. Lineup hot takes are almost worse in the WBC than the regular season, especially with the blue chip depth Team USA enjoys.

No, they’d be going home largely because the club was perhaps one starting pitcher short of unbeatable. Nolan McLean, entering his first full season as a New York Met, was not up to the task of putting the paisans down, leaving with a 3-0 deficit after giving up a pair of rockets to Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel and White Sox farmhand Sam Antonacci.

Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen – a former teammate of several Team USA members – threw the ball terrifically. The deficit grew. Perhaps DeRosa could have lifted long reliever Ryan Yarbrough before his outing mushroomed into ‘wear it’ territory, a situation that looked worse when the USA nearly clawed back all of an 8-0 deficit.

The looks on the faces of Team USA as all this unfolded were startling. A mix of astonishment, a sinking feeling that they could, in fact, be eliminated, perhaps doing mathematic machinations as the espresso shots flew in the Italians’ dugout.

Funny thing about ballplayers: Some are thoroughly locked in to what’s happening on a given day. Others don’t know what day it is, nor whether they just took part in a historic Farris-Buehler matchup.

But a lot of that stuff isn’t their job. Their job is to show up and ball. The button-pushing, the logistics, the bigger picture after The Neverending Today – that’s the manager’s job. The surprising thing about DeRosa’s gaffe is that he’s not a major league manager parachuting in from Florida or Arizona.

His lone job, other than gassing up his guests on MLB Network or playing wingman when Rob Manfred’s in a union-bustin’ mood, is managing the WBC team. Look, we all fall victim – present company included – to WBC Brain, misinterpreting pool-play standings and looming tiebreakers.

Yet this is DeRosa’s whole deal. That three teams finishing pool play 3-1 is potentially bad news, and that there was one Team USA game remaining, against an unbeaten team, should have been seared into his brain.

Alas, he verbally punched their ticket, acknowledged at a pregame press conference both that he ‘misspoke’ and also he ‘completely misread the calculations’ regarding his interview that vanished from the league web site but is still available online.

The sequence does little to tamp down the notion that the Americans are a bit less passionate about this event than their rivals. Save for the grit-and-grind, Jim Leyland-led group that won it all in 2017, Team USA has always been Team Taciturn, the staid actors in an event fueled by passion. The guard has come down a little bit in recent events, but a Team USA game won’t be confused for an international party anytime soon.

For that, DeRosa can be thankful. Imagine if he were managing Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, and erred in his calculations, and then his team got their butts kicked by an underdog. The noise might be a bit louder than a few hot takes from a handful of vodcasters.

Of course, an Italy win over Mexico makes all this so much Mountain Valley Spring Water under the bridge. Or a Mexico win with a lot of runs on the board. DeRosa will certainly be watching, and will full well know the score.

The Minnesota Vikings are releasing Harrison Smith, but the team’s run with the six-time Pro Bowl safety might not be over.

Though the Vikings officially designated Smith as a post-June 1 cut on March 11, the move is solely procedural. The team would still welcome the 37-year-old back if he decides to continue playing, according to multiple reports.

By parting ways with Smith, the Vikings save $1.3 million against the salary cap, which helped them get compliant by Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Smith has spent his entire decorated 14-year career with the Vikings. He’s the NFL’s leader among active players in career interceptions with 39.

The potential for Smith’s retirement was acknowledged in the season finale, when the safety received an ovation from the home crowd upon being subbed out in the closing minutes.

Losing Smith would mark yet another offseason shift for a Vikings defense that already released defensive linemen Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard’s name also surfaced in trade talks.

You want to see desperation in the NFL marketplace?

Just look at the Baltimore Ravens and their pivot from Maxx Crosby to Trey Hendrickson with the NFL poised to ring the bell on a new league year on Wednesday.

The Ravens, trying to revive an inept pass rush, were desperate enough last weekend to trade two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders to land Crosby, despite knowing the premier edge rusher is in full rehab mode after his January surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Then, after flunking Crosby on his physical on Tuesday – fueling the perception they merely had buyer’s remorse because they already knew the knee isn’t good to go at this point – the Ravens turned right around and agreed to sign Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million free agent contract.

That’s assuming, of course, that Hendrickson, 31, passes his physical.

Hendrickson, the former Cincinnati Bengal rated among the top free agents on the market, is coming off surgery, too.

The Ravens were desperate enough to quickly reverse course. Remember, after leading the NFL with 17 ½ sacks in 2024, Hendrickson’s 2025 campaign was cut short halfway through by a hip injury that led to core muscle surgery. Yet the Ravens are apparently good enough with that to pay him $28 million per year.

Yeah, this start to the NFL’s offseason marketplace – fueled by a record salary cap of $301.2 million – is just wild.

Granted, the Ravens had every right to pull out of the trade for Crosby that was struck before the start of NFL’s new league year at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. It’s a stunning reminder that nothing is official, including the bevy of free agent deals agreed to during the (supposed) two-day “legal tampering” window, until the ball drops on the new calendar.

But man does it stink, leaving the Raiders to pick up the pieces without those two first-round picks – one in April, another in 2027 – that they thought were coming from Baltimore. And suddenly, the hefty price that Raiders GM John Spytek had working on the market for a Crosby deal has gone up in smoke.

Of course, it’s rather standard for any trade – and especially one involving so much premium draft capital – to be contingent on a player passing a physical.

It’s just that one team’s flunking grade doesn’t cover all 32. Remember the time when Drew Brees, coming off shoulder surgery in 2006, was flunked on a physical by the Miami Dolphins? Instead, the New Orleans Saints signed Brees. And later this year, Brees, No. 2 all-time for passing yards and TDs, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

I’m guessing that Ravens GM Eric DeCosta surely knows that history. Pressed to juice his defense, DeCosta conceivably entered into the Crosby sweepstakes with his eyes wide open when considering the risk. Crosby finished the 2025 season on injured reserve, shut down by the Raiders because of the knee injury – which left him hopping mad while Las Vegas, without its best player for the final two games, hurtled toward clinching the No. 1 pick overall in April that undoubtedly will be used to select quarterback Fernando Mendoza – and all of the potential trade partners knew the rehab is in midstream.

As of mid-day Wednesday, the Ravens had not publicly commented on why they pulled out. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Ravens consulted multiple team doctors – including Jonathan Cooper of the Dallas Cowboys – who reviewed Crosby’s MRI scans.

Interestingly, the Cowboys – whose team owner, Jerry Jones, recently declared that he wasn’t interested in pursuing “medical redshirts” this year in the draft and free agency, despite a history for waiting on players rebounding from injury – were not seriously in the mix to make a play for Crosby nor Hendrickson.

In any event, if the Ravens had second thoughts about giving up those first-round picks – and with the upcoming draft purportedly deep in edge rushers – they certainly had some cover and incentive.

The incentive might have been the market for Hendrickson, who didn’t attract offers that would have put him in Crosby’s range ($35.5 million per year). With a $28 million average, Hendrickson ranks 11^th in average pay for edge rushers, according to Spotrac.com, with the $46.5 million for Micah Parsons topping that scale.

So, as it turns out, the Ravens can keep their picks and hope Hendrickson brings enough of the heat they envisioned getting from Crosby. That’s a theory gaining steam in NFL circles.

Then there’s the cover. The risk assessment for Crosby, 28, involved projecting how well his knee will hold up in future years.

Take stock of what Crosby’s surgeon, Neal ElAttrache, told ESPN:

“We respect the work of the Ravens staff with Maxx regarding the contract physical exam. We also understand the challenge the staff faces when tasked to provide a future risk assessment based on an evaluation early in the recovery process. The timing of this assessment is unfortunate because the apparent risk will lessen as his recovery progresses and his return to performance over the next few months becomes clear.”

Why didn’t the Ravens wait before offering such an enticing package to land Crosby? Had they held off until closer to the draft in late April, Crosby would have been further along with his rehab, as ElAttrache alluded to. By then, however, some other team might have swung a deal.

That’s where the desperation seemingly inspired their actions. Desperate to land a premier defender, the Ravens were willing…until a less-risky option emerged with Hendrickson.

Whether that ultimately proves to be the right decision will be revealed in time.

Contact Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

It was all a dream. Or maybe it was all a nightmare.

The Las Vegas Raiders shocked the NFL world on March 10, when they announced that the Baltimore Ravens backed out of a trade for defensive end Maxx Crosby. NFL Network reported that the Ravens backed out of the agreement because of medical reasons. The trade that would’ve sent two first-round picks to Sin City in exchange for one of the league’s best pass-rushers.

The NFL’s new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 11, which is the earliest the deal could have become official. In some alternate universe, Crosby was on the Ravens and the star defender was certainly leaning into it. He posted a lengthy farewell video to the Raiders and picture of himself in a Ravens’ jersey on social media. In reality, he was always with the Raiders.

In other words, the trade that never happened is now the trade that will never happen.

There are some key questions that need to be answered in the wake of the trade. We did our best to answer some of the more popular ones as the story develops:

Will the Raiders still trade Maxx Crosby?

The Raiders have not indicated whether they will look to trade Crosby again.

After the trade fell through, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders were receiving calls from “several” teams inquiring about Crosby’s availability in a potential trade but are focused on getting the defender healthy and ready to play for the team next season. Schefter added that the Raiders will listen to other teams though.

It’s a tricky situation, especially given that the Ravens reportedly had an issue with the star’s physical. From a pure supply-and-demand standpoint, there is one less suitor in the market and a red flag attached to the situation. The Raiders were set to acquire two first-round picks, including one in the 2027 NFL Draft that teams covet.

Whether another team would be willing to pay that price remains to be seen, meaning Vegas might be better off holding onto the player for the time being.

Crosby could rebuild his trade value by the midseason deadline, but there’s also a real chance that his value will never be as high as it was.

Will Maxx Crosby’s medical concerns prevent another trade?

While the Ravens backed out of the trade for a medical concern, there is no reason to believe another team wouldn’t view the same evaluation differently.

In many ways, physicals can be a matter of opinion and an exercise in risk tolerance. The Ravens might’ve seen something that didn’t sit right with them, but that might not necessarily be the case for a different team.

Baltimore was set to invest two first-round picks and plenty of money in Crosby. It’s only logical that they would want to be comfortable with the medicals.

Crosby is a high-profile player, but this isn’t something new for the Ravens.

In 2020, an independent doctor expressed concerns with Michael Brockers’ ankle after he agreed to a three-year deal with the Ravens. The then-30-year-old never played for Baltimore. He ended up returning to the Rams and played three more seasons, including two with the Lions.

In 2018, the Ravens nixed a free agent agreement with Ryan Grant after the receiver failed a physical with an ankle injury. He ended up signing with the Colts for the 2018 season. Grant appeared in just two games with the Raiders in 2019 and hasn’t played in the NFL since.

Can the Raiders sign other players they’ve agreed to terms with if they don’t trade Crosby?

The Raiders plan to honor all the deals that they agreed to in free agency, according to multiple reports. Vegas went on quite the spending spree, but that was to be expected after they entered free agency with the most cap space in the league.

That is the reason why they still have enough money to make all those agreements official, even with Crosby’s contract coming back on the books. And they could always restructure Crosby’s deal to clear up additional space.

Here’s a look at the agreements they made:

• C Tyler Linderbaum: Three-years, $81 million
• EDGE Kwity Paye: Three-years, $48 million
• LB Quay Walker: Three-years, $40.5 million
• LB Nakobe Dean: Three-years, $36 million
• WR Jalen Nailor: Three-years, $35 million
• CB Eric Stokes: Three-years, $30 million
• EDGE Malcolm Koonce: One-year, $11 million
• K Matt Gay

Will the Ravens be penalized for backing out of the trade?

There will be no league punishment for the Ravens. Whether there is some indirect punishment from other teams can’t be ruled out, however.

The trade couldn’t be official until 4 p.m. ET on March 11, meaning it never happened in the first place. While both sides agreed to the deal, it’s a lot like making plans with a friend. There’s always a chance it never happens, until it does.

Of course, there’s a chance that teams around the league could have strong feelings. It remains to be seen if that trust is broken, even if rumors are swirling that it is.

At the end of the day, teams will make moves to benefit themselves. If that includes doing a deal with the Ravens, they aren’t going reject it just to make a point.

Was the Ravens pivot to Trey Hendrickson a better plan?

The Ravens quickly responded by agreeing to terms with defensive end Trey Hendrickson on March 11, according to reports. They might look back and think they paid a premium for the 31-year-old during a time of desperation, but that is also the nature of free agency.

Crosby is certainly more talented, but there’s a good chance that Hendrickson and two first-round picks is better than the alternative. Baltimore can now look to add in the draft after solving the pass-rushing concern in free agency.

Hendrickson is older than Crosby, but both players come with injury concerns. One of them only cost money though and the Ravens should be pleased with the end result.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Steve Emt and Laura Dwyer fought back tears.

They had come up short. 

Years of dreaming, months of practicing, and days of gritty victories at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, it all led up to this moment. USA Curling was on doorstep of winning its first Paralympic medal, and Emt and Dwyer wanted to be authors of that history in the mixed doubles bronze medal match against Latvian duo Polina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans.

“It was a battle out there, it was a brawl,” Emt said. “Putting on a show for everybody watching around the world, but it’s gonna sting for a while.” Sting for a while indeed. The Americans and Latvians went to an extra end, the Latvians ultimately coming out on top, 11-10.

Watch Winter Paralymics on Peacock

The Americans’ journey to the bronze medal game required resilience. The duo notched a win over host nation Italy and an upset over future gold medalist China to soar into the final four; a loss to Korea put them in the bronze medal match against Latvia.

Against Latvia, Emt and Dwyer, alongside coach Pete Annis, decided to play more loosely and aggressively early. After one end – analogous to an inning in baseball –  it looked to be working perfectly.

“It was punch for punch. We come out in the first round and hit them in the gut with a four. They come back in the second round and uppercut for five,” Emt said. “It was incredible. The atmosphere is amazing. The people, the fans, the support.”

The Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium was alive with energy as the gold medal match between China and South Korea unfolded played at the same time as the Americans and Latvians battled it out. Fans waited in silence for a stone to make its way across the ice – understanding the importance of each shot moment in an end – before exploding to celebrate the result.

After the big start, the Americans lost momentum in the middle and surged again to the lead after six ends. The teams finished tied at 10 apiece and moved on to an extra, sudden-death frame. 

Dywer, who made her Paralympic debut, relied on the 12-year veteran Emt. 

“It’s been great because he’s been here before to another Games. So, he’s calm about it, knows what to do, and I had no jitters,” Dywer said.

The game came down in the extra end to Dwyer’s delivery. She needed to land one of the toughest shots in curling by pushing the Latvian stone out of button position while avoiding a tight guard window. The duo called a timeout, knew what needed to be done, and took their positions.

It was close. But it was a miss.

The bronze went to the Latvian duo, the only athletes representing their country in the Paralympics. 

When loss was final, Annis, the coach to Emt and Dwyer, slumped his head, clearly emotional over the result.

“I feel bad because they put so much time into it, five, six days a week. I know Steve’s been here for 12 years, growing in a cycle. He really wanted to get the first medal for U.S. Curling,” the 63-year-old said. “He’s gonna be hard on himself. In the long run, it might work out for everybody someday. He’ll get one guaranteed then.”

Annis was not the only one emotional. Dwyer thanked their coach for giving them a chance to compete in mixed doubles together.

“I don’t want to speak into wouldas or shouldas, I don’t,” Dwyer said. “But he’s been coaching us, and he’s really put in so much of himself into this program for us. He believes in us. I’m gonna get one for him. It’s obviously not today, but I just got here. It’s my first Games. I plan to come around again and do it.”

Alex Carpenter is a reporter for the Paralympics Project, a partnership between USA TODAY Network and the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

The Golden State Warriors have lost three consecutive games and 10 of 15 since All-Star guard Stephen Curry went down with a right knee injury.

The team, for at least the short term, will continue to be without the 37 year old.

Golden State issued an update indicating that Curry was reevaluated Wednesday, March 11 for patella-femoral pain syndrome/bone bruising in the injured knee. The Warriors said Curry continues to “make good progress” and that he has been going through individual on-court workouts, which will intensify over the coming days as he improves. Golden State added that Curry will be reevaluated in 10 days.

Curry suffered the injury Jan. 30 in a contest against the Pistons and has missed the following 15 games.

What does Stephen Curry’s injury mean for the Warriors?

It’s a continued blow for the Warriors, who are in danger of falling outside of the play-in picture. Golden State is currently 32-33 and in ninth place in the Western Conference.

The team, and the offense in particular, has struggled significantly in Curry’s 15-game absence. Over that span, the Warriors rank 21^st in offensive rating, generating 111.7 points per 100 possessions.

Curry’s injury compounds what has been a tough season for Golden State. The Warriors have also been without forward Jimmy Butler (torn anterior cruciate ligament) since Jan. 19, and new addition Kristaps Porziņģis has made just three appearances for the team.

The Warriors only have 17 games remaining in the 2025-26 regular season, but the good news is that the No. 11 seed in the West, the Grizzlies, are well behind the play-in picture, currently 8 ½ games back of Golden State. Four teams, the ones finishing from seeds No. 7 through 10, are the ones that qualify for the Play-In Tournament.

For Golden State to have any chance to make some noise in the play-in — and the playoffs, if they qualify — it will need Curry to be fully healthy, so taking a measured approach with his health makes perfect sense.

Curry, though, thrives on off-ball movement and is one of the hardest-working players in the NBA who travels a significant distance in an average game, so his playing style is not without its toll.

Stephen Cury stats

In 39 appearances this season, Curry is averaging a team-high 27.2 points per game on 46.8% shooting. Curry has also recorded 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.